Meeting people where they’re currently at.
Photo by Cameron Clark
If people can't change, then the entire education system is a waste. Same goes for the entire training industry.
The very definition of learning something new means you are changing a pattern of thinking.
Changing a pattern of thinking changes your outlook in some way.
Changing your outlook can change your values system.
Changing your values system ultimately changes your worldview.
If people are learning, then people are changing. If people are changing, then they may not be the same person they were when you first met them years ago. They may have learned from their mistakes, may have evolved, may have an entirely new approach to work and life.
There's a quote I love that Anne Lamott credits to a mentor in one of her books: "Forgiveness means giving up all hope of having had a different past."
If you want people to believe in your potential – not your past – you have to be willing to do the same for them.
Originally published January 2014
